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November to December1979

Channel 4 News.November 2nd, 1979.

There won’t have to be bake sales to buy missiles. Congressional leaders and President Carter have agreed to a compromise on the military funding bill. Production planned in New England for October 2006 to September 2007 will proceed as planned. Any missed production due to the funding cut will be made up. Any civilian military contractors who lost pay will have that made up to them. Further, all persons from 2006 New England with military clearances will be guaranteed continued defense employment, even they weren’t working at the time of the Event.

The compromise to get the bill signed by President Carter, is that the high technology items won’t actually be deployed during the time covered by the funding bill which ends September 30th, 1980. The production will be used for research and development, testing and training.

A Financial Magazine.November 1979 issue.

What has been the impact of the US decision to have a 1 to 1 exchange rate between 1979 dollars and 2006 dollars? We ask an economics historian to present a historical perspective.

First, the event itself is simply extraordinary. We have found no events in the historical records of a time travel event. Even the meaning of history has changed, previously we assumed it meant a linear path through time occurring at the same pace everywhere on the planet. Now that we know that is not true. Historians have now been looking through history for previous such events. None have been positively identified.

As for the exchange rate between 1979 and 2006 dollars, we did find a very close analogy in that New England Future. In 1990, East Germany merged into West Germany. The effective value of the West German currency was between 2.5 and 10.0 to that of the East German, but the merger set a value of 1 to 1. Actually some savings were set at a different ratio, but prices, wages, and contracts were all 1 to 1. Similarly in 1979, the effective value of the 1979 US dollar was about 2.75 that of the 2006 US dollar, while the merger set a value of 1 to 1. However, while West Germany had the superior technology, in the US case, the 2006 New England had the superior technology, so some of the overvaluation of its currency was actually justified.

Those workers with post-1979 skills are probably worth 2.75 times their original salaries. Those items and services produced in New England using post-1979 infrastructure probably are also worth the 2.75 times their original price. Unskilled labour commodity items and services are not worth any more than their original price.

Indeed, we have been seeing wages reduced by many companies in New England. We have also been seeing those with new skills having many companies both within and outside of New England bidding for their services.

Channel 4 News.November 4th, 1979.

Today’s news starts with what did not happen today. There are no American hostages in Iran. In the New England Future Iran seized 66 Americans today, keeping 52 until January 20th, 1981. They did hold a large demonstration against the US, in front of the former embassy grounds. The main differences between our current history, and the New England Future, is that this time, the embassy and civilians were evacuated the day of the Event, and the former Shah did not come to the US for medical treatment.

In other news, Malden Mills, the maker of Polartec fleece has more orders than it can handle. Before the Event, the company was heading towards its second bankruptcy. It made outdoor weather products for the military, and for high-end sporting goods stores. Then, mass-market fleece was mostly made by other companies in China. Now, Malden Mills, in Lawrence Massachusetts and Hudson, New Hampshire, is the only producer in the world, having invented the category in 1981. If they run their factory around the clock, from now until the end of 1980, they wouldn’t be able to fill all the orders they have.

Channel 4 News.November 5th, 1979.

Senator Gary Hart of Colorado announced his candidacy for the 1980 Presidential Democratic nomination. “I am going to bring this nation forward through a new era. Yes I have new ideas. No, there won’t be any monkey business.”

Channel 4 News.November 7th, 1979.

Both Ted Kennedy’s held a news conference, on this the same day that Senator Ted Kennedy announced his running for the 1980 Presidential Democratic nomination against President Carter, in the original history. They announced that they are not running for President.

President Carter announced a balanced budget plan for next years Federal budget. Republican Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker expressed his approval. “The spending and tax levels are both higher than we would like, but we can work with the President’s plan.” In the original history, Carter proposed something similar, but it was derailed by the crises in Iran and Afghanistan.

Ted Kennedy (the older) commented, “The Senate Democrats approve of having a balanced budget. In the New England Future we were on the way to responsible government before Ronald Reagan’s reckless tax cuts set the nation on a path of huge budget deficits that lasted until the next Democratic President was in office.”

Channel 4 News.November 10th, 1979.

Tragedy in Greensboro North Carolina. 26 people have been killed in fighting between the Ku Klux Klan and the Maoist anti-Klan protesters. In the original history 5 people were killed on November 3rd during a protest and counter protest. Now, there was heavy police presence on November 3rd with no violence reported. However, both organizations postponed their fight another week with even more tragic results.

Channel 4.November 12th, 1979.

In our continuing series of “Visits to New England”, we are interviewing visitors in

Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“What is your impression of Harvard Square?”

“Almost every store I know is gone, but the same things are still being sold.”

“What is your impression of Harvard Square?”

“They are still playing the same movie as last time I was here. The Rocky Horror Picture Show has never stopped playing here.”

“What is your impression of Harvard Square?”

“The singers have to have licenses now?”

“What is your impression of Harvard Square?”

“The T goes also to Somerville now. I took it to Davis Square. That actually reminds me of what Harvard Square was like before.”

Coming up next, what about your cellphones. You might have noticed less coverage already than before the Event. You can expect coverage to drop off until new equipment is made. You can actually get a new phone, but it is about the size of a large brick.

There has been a little bit of coverage added in the New York City and Washington DC areas, but that was from equipment in New England at the time of the Event.

Channel 4 News.December 31st, 1979.

The first New Year’s Eve since the event. Several cities and towns outside of New England are hosting First Night celebrations. First Night is an arts festival, both indoors and outdoors.

The original First Night was held in Boston since 1976. This year has a special theme, saying goodbye to 1979 and also to 2006, and for the first time ever not being sure that those years won’t be back again.

There is an ice sculpture on Boston Common, with all the years 1979 to 2006 represented, and people chipping away at them before midnight.